Many people wonder how we feel about vaccines and wonder if we vaccinate our kittens before going to new homes.

We do not vaccinate our kittens before they go to new homes (with the exception of Rabies, as required by state law and if they are old enough to receive the vaccine)

The main reason we have chosen to not vaccinate is because of health reasons. In the past we have tried many different options. We have waited to vaccinate at 12 weeks old, we have vaccinated as early as 4 weeks old, we have vaccinated at 8 weeks and at 12 weeks, we have tried many combinations of ages and both intranasal and injectable vaccines. Of all the combinations and types of vaccines we have tried, we have found that simply not vaccinating our kittens at all proves to be the healthiest option for our kittens.Prior to our decision to not vaccinate, when we were vaccinating, we had healthy litters go from being perfectly healthy, to sneezing that took a long time to resolve, and even worse, some kittens had side effects like actually getting the disease for which they were vaccinate for, and as bad as even death from vaccine reactions.

We have researched the pros and cons to vaccinations and have reached the conclusion that a kitten with a immature immune system should not be subjected to foreign antibodies via an unnatural route.

Further, of the three 'core' vaccines recommended, two of them are "colds" which usually resolve with no significant harm to the cat. Only one of the core vaccines is usually fatal, but that particular disease is almost eradicated from the United States anyway, and a cat that is kept strictly indoors as a pet is not at any great risk of contracting that disease.On top of that, the first two core vaccines mentioned, do not keep the cat from catching the disease, they are only supposed to limit the severity of the disease when the cat does get it.

Some vaccines are not very effective and can be very dangerous. FIP is a dangerous vaccine and not very effective. FIV is a very dangerous vaccine because once a cat is vaccinated with it, the cat will test positive for FIV for the rest of it's life. This means that is somehow your cat gets outside and ends up in a shelter, most likely it will be euthanized immediately because the shelter will think your cat has FIV!

Given all the pros and cons of vaccines, we feel it is better left up to the new kitten owner to make the decision weather or not to vaccinate the new kitten, once the kitten goes to it's new home. If the new owner makes the decision to vaccinate, we recommend a few things:

1.)Wait at least a week or until the new kitten has settled in and feels at home and is not under stress from the move.

2.)To not give more than one vaccine at a time so the immune system does not need to work as hard to develop antibodies many different viruses at once.

3.)To vaccine only for panlukopenia and rabies and nothing experimental and proven not to work like FIP, FIV, bordetella etc, or anything that is generally not lethal like rhinotracheitis and calicivirus.

4.)Be informed about all vaccines before going to the vets and have reasons why you should not vaccinate if you choose not. Most vets will recommend lots of vaccines. It is your job to be informed about the best care for your kitty! Don't leave it up to the vets.

5.)Never vaccinate at the same time of any surgery, or if the kitten is sick.

6.)To only give the kitten/cat vaccines every three years (or longer) instead of every year

Provided on this page are is some good articles for you about vaccines to help you make an informed descision on weather or not you should vaccinate your kitten. (please see "SUPPLIMENTAL VACCINE INFORMATION" below). Please realize it is a risk both ways, weather or not you choose to vaccinate your kitten. You must make a descision based on what you believe is less risky given your circumstances.

For cats being shipped out of the United States, we may vaccinate them before leaving here if the country of import requires such vaccines to be given. If the country does not require them, we usually will not give anything not required. We take everything on a case by case basis.

For Pocket Leopards, the choice to not vaccinate is not about the money involved to do so. If a buyer feels strongly that they should vaccinate (after reading the provided information), they may do so at our expense. We will deduct $35 from the cost of your kitten for vaccination of the three way "core" vaccines and the rabies vaccine. (Receipts with proof of vaccination must be provided to us within 6 months of the sale date of kitten, or you will owe us the money back)

Final note: Because it is a risk both to vaccinate AND to not vaccinate, Pocket Leopards will NOT be held responsible for any sickness the cat may get from either not vaccinating or from vaccinating.Please make an INFORMED descision based on your own circumstances and what you feel is best for your kitten/cat.

Vaccinating with FIP and/or FIV will render our health guarantee null and void and you will be in breach of our contract with you.

SUPPLIMENTAL INFORMATION ON VACCINES

THE VACCINATION DILEMMA and YOUR HEALTHY COMPANIONS

Most of this information is from Dr Charles E Loops DVM

Homeopathic veterinarians and other holistic practitioners have maintained for some time that vaccinations do more harm than they provide benefits. Vaccinations represent a major assault on the body's immune system. Attenuated organisms or chemically killed viruses or bacteria are injected directly into the blood stream, an unnatural route of infection. This profound insult, avoiding the body's first line of defenses, and flooding the system with millions of organisms or viral particles, stresses the immune system in a way not of natures design. This insult causes irregularities and abnormalities in the immune system which then manifests as chronic diseases in animals. These chronic diseases range from life-threatening conditions such as auto-immune crises to conditions destroying the quality of life of an animal as in chronic skin allergies.

What we are now seeing are generations of over-vaccinated animals and these current offspring are suffering the penalty of this medical abuse. In an attempt to control a naturally occurring process of population control and survival of the fittest, the medical establishment has convinced people that mass inoculations are for the good of all, overlooking the health of the individual. Where vaccinations have helped in eradicating or reducing the incidence of severe, acute disease processes, the result has been to plague humanity with more insidious, chronic diseases that are much more difficult to treat and that lower the quality of life for many individual animals and people.

In all of this, there needs to be BALANCE, and the following are my recommendations for vaccinating or not vaccinating and some comments about diet.

1. Kittens under three months of age should not be vaccinated.Vaccinations are much more stressful on the underdeveloped immune system. Also, these vaccinations are much less effective at providing immunity before three months of age.

2. Kittens should only be vaccinated for Panleukopenia and not before three months of age. All other vaccinations should be avoided. One vaccine is sufficient.

3. Common sense should be used in avoiding exposure of very young animals to other, possible unhealthy, animals of the same species.

4. Booster vaccinations are completely unnecessary. Studies are now showing that these vaccinations are effective for many years and most probably for life. Vaccinated animals do not need any boosters.

5. Rabies Vaccinations should be given as dictated by state laws. Clearly, the rabies vaccination is effective for many years more than state laws require booster vaccination.

6. Booster vaccinations can cause SEVERE set-backs when an animal is being treated homeopathically for chronic problems. They can completely erase any progress that has been made towards improving an animal's health.

7. My personal recommendation is NOT to vaccinate at all. The best road to good health is feeding a diet rich in fresh foods, raw meats for the carnivores, and avoiding vaccinations and allopathic medications. Antibiotics and other allopathic drugs should only be used in situations where their use is clearly indicated, and this should be only in potentially, life-threatening situations. Every time you suppress a symptom the body produces, you are potentially lowering the health status of the body system. Treating with the correctly prescribed, homeopathic remedy, herbs, or other non-invasive therapies, not of a chemical nature, will enhance your health and your companions health.

SCIENCE OF VACCINE DAMAGE

by Catherine O’Driscoll

Submitted by Brigitte Copeland

A team at Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine conducted

several studies (endnotes 1 & 2) to determine if vaccines can cause

changes in the immune system of dogs that might lead to life-threatening

immune-mediated diseases. They obviously conducted this research because

concern already existed. It was sponsored by the Haywood Foundation which

itself was looking for evidence that such changes in the human immune

system might also be vaccine induced. It found the evidence.

The vaccinated, but not the non-vaccinated, dogs in the Purdue studies

developed autoantibodies to many of their own biochemicals, including

fibronectin, laminin, DNA, albumin, cytochrome C, cardiolipin and

collagen.

This means that the vaccinated dogs – ”but not the non-vaccinated dogs”–

were attacking their own fibronectin, which is involved in tissue repair,

cell multiplication and growth, and differentiation between tissues and

organs in a living organism.

The vaccinated Purdue dogs also developed autoantibodies to laminin, which

is involved in many cellular activities including the adhesion, spreading,

(916) 470-4037 cell email: bengals@littleleopardcats.com(PLEASE NOTE: Te easiest and fastest way to get in contact with me is either through email, or through texting my cell phone, or both. I don't answer my phone very often so if you call and I don't answer or call you back, please try emailing me or texting me. Thank you.)

Sacramento CA, 95833

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